Proportionality -- Which Community has the Hardliners?

["Sanjai Kukreti" <skukreti@home.com>]

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Times of India

Indians, Pakistanis play patriotic games on Net
By Kaajal Wallia

MUMBAI: After Kargil, Indians and Pakistanis have found a virtually new
battleground - cyberspace. And the first round of this war has gone to
Pakistan. According to cyber experts, more than 500 Indian sites were
defaced by Pakistani and other unidentified anti-India hackers last
year.
And, despite its numerous IT whizkids, India has managed only one
``victory'': A ``patriotic IT professional'' posted a warning on the
Pakistani government site: ``Don't take panga with India.''

The website of Sheetal departmental store and zeetv.com were hacked by
`G-Force Pakistan' recently and derogatory articles on the Indian armed
forces and the government posted. On August 15, the site of Videsh
Sanchar
Nigam Limited was defaced by Pakistan's sympathisers.

The latest round in this silent war started after the ceasefire was
announced in the Kashmir Valley. ``In the last few months, several VIPs
have
been bombarded with hate mail from terrorists. Death threats have been
posted on the Net. Kashmiri leaders have been getting mail, ordering
them to
retract pro-India statements,'' says Dewang Mehta, president of NASSCOM
and
a member of the National Cyber Crime Committee.

E-warfare, it is believed, is primarily the handiwork of techno-savvy
youth.
``There is a new breed emerging, in the age-group of 14 to 35 years,
which
feels it can create equal havoc with a mouse and an AK-47,'' says Deputy

Commissioner of Police Himanshu Roy, who heads the Mumbai Police's cyber

crime cell.

Of late, countries like China, Russia and even India have reportedly
recruited hackers for the purpose ranging from espionage to preventive
action. An intelligence official says that many militant outfits look
out
for hackers' CVs. Mehta says, ``Cyber terrorism is on the increase in
the
sub-continent.''

Serial time-bombs and cybermites are already part of the hackers'
weaponry.
The sophistication and hi-tech computer programming, say experts, demand

nothing short of an evil genius.

At present, three groups of pro-Pakistan hackers have been identified.
`G-Force Pakistan', the most active one last year, reportedly hacked the

sites of the Indian Science Congress, The Asian Age, the National
Research
Centre, the Agricultural University of Maharashtra, IIM Ahmedabad, IIT
Chennai, and the Indian National Information Technology Promotion, among

others.

Another group, run by `Doctor Nuker', has reportedly hacked the sites of
the
Indian Parliament, the Ahmedabad Telephone Exchange, and the United
Nations
(India). `Nightman' has defaced the sites of the Lal Bahadur Shastri
National Academy of Administration and Mahindra & Mahindra, among
others.

An intelligence official says, ``Previously, differences between India
and
Pakistan were settled on the cricket field. Now, with limited cricket
encounters, the youths are being forced to settle scores on the Net.''





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